Editing Guru (section)

== In Hinduism ==
{{Further|list of Hindu gurus}}
{{Hinduism}}
The Guru is an ancient and central figure in the traditions of [[Hinduism]].<ref name=joelmlecko/> Ultimate liberation or ''[[moksha]]'' and inner perfection is considered achievable in Hinduism with the help of a ''guru''.<ref name=joelmlecko/> The Guru can also serve as a teacher of skills, a counselor, one who helps in the realization of one's Self ([[Ātman (Hinduism)|Atma]]), who instills values and experiential knowledge, an exemplar, an inspiration and one who helps guide a student's (''[[shishya|śiṣya]]'') spiritual development.<ref name=joelmlecko/> At a social and religious level, the Guru helps continue the religion and Hindu way of life.<ref name=joelmlecko/> Guru thus has a historic, reverential and an important role in the Hindu culture.<ref name=joelmlecko/>

===Scriptures===
The word Guru is mentioned in the earliest layer of [[Vedas|Vedic]] texts. The hymn 4.5.6 of Rigveda describes the guru as, "the source and inspirer of the knowledge of the Self, the essence of reality," for one who seeks.<ref>Sanskrit original: {{lang|sa|इदं मे अग्ने कियते पावकामिनते '''गुरुं''' भारं न मन्म । बृहद्दधाथ धृषता गभीरं यह्वं पृष्ठं प्रयसा सप्तधातु ॥६॥}} – [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/ऋग्वेद:_सूक्तं_४.५ Rigveda 4.5.6] Wikisource<br />English Translation: Joel Mlecko (1982), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3269931 The Guru in Hindu Tradition] Numen, Volume 29, Fasc. 1, page 35</ref>

In chapter 4.4 within the [[Chandogya Upanishad]], a guru is described as one whom one attains knowledge that matters, the insights that lead to Self-knowledge.<ref name=mleckopage35/> Verse 1.2.8 of the [[Katha Upanisad]] declares the guru "as indispensable to the acquisition of knowledge."<ref name=mleckopage35>English Translation: Joel Mlecko (1982), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3269931 The Guru in Hindu Tradition] Numen, Volume 29, Fasc. 1, pages 35-36</ref> In chapter 3 of [[Taittiriya Upanishad]], human knowledge is described as that which connects the teacher and the student through the medium of exposition, just like a child is the connecting link between the father and the mother through the medium of procreation.<ref>Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 222-223</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/stream/AitareyataittiriyaUpanishadsWithShankaraBhashya-English/05AitareyataittiriyaUpanishadsWithShankaraBhashya-English#page/n61/mode/2up Taittiriya Upanishad] SS Sastri (Translator), The Aitereya and Taittiriya Upanishad, pages 65-67</ref> In the Taittiriya Upanishad, the ''guru'' then urges a student to "struggle, discover and experience the Truth, which is the source, stay and end of the universe."<ref name=mleckopage35/>

The ancient tradition of reverence for the ''guru'' in Hindu scriptures is apparent in 6.23 of the [[Shvetashvatara Upanishad]], which equates the need of reverence and devotion for ''guru'' to be the same as for god,<ref>Robert Hume (1921), [https://archive.org/stream/thirteenprincipa028442mbp#page/n431/mode/2up Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.23], The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, page 411</ref><ref name=mlecko37>Joel Mlecko (1982), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3269931 The Guru in Hindu Tradition] Numen, Volume 29, Fasc. 1, page 37</ref>

{{Blockquote|
<poem>
{{lang|sa|यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा '''गुरौ'''}} <nowiki>।</nowiki>
{{lang|sa|तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः <nowiki>॥ २३ ॥</nowiki>}}<ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषद् Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.23] Wikisource</ref>
He who has highest ''[[Bhakti]]'' (love, devotion)<ref name=paulcarus>Paul Carus, {{Google books|96sLAAAAIAAJ|The Monist|PA514}}, pages 514-515</ref> of ''[[Deva (Hinduism)|Deva]]'' (god),
just like his ''Deva'', so for his '''Guru''',
To him who is high-minded,
these teachings will be illuminating.
</poem>
|Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.23<ref>Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, page 326</ref><ref>Max Muller, [https://archive.org/stream/upanishads02ml#page/266/mode/2up Shvetashvatara Upanishad], The Upanishads, Part II, Oxford University Press, page 267</ref>}}

The [[Bhagavad Gita]] also exemplifies the importance of a guru within [[Hinduism]]. [[Arjuna]] when faced with the realization of having to wage war with his kin is paralyzed with grief and remorse. Overwhelmed he lays down his weapons and refuses to fight. Despite his intellectual prowess and skill in warfare he finds himself lacking in [[Dharma|Dharmic]] (moral) clarity. At this moment he turns to Krishna for guidance and in essence seeks Krishna as his guru. This interaction exemplifies the importance within the Hindu tradition for a disciple to seek guidance from an experienced spiritual guru.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Bhagavad Gita |date=2007 |publisher=Nilgiri Press |isbn=978-1-58638-019-9 |editor-last=Eknath |editor-first=Easwaran |edition=2nd |series=The classics of Indian spirituality |location=Tomales, CA |pages=Chapter 2}}</ref> Additionally, other references to the role of a guru in the [[Bhagavad Gita]] include verse 4.34 - those who know their subject well are eager for good students, and the student can learn from such a ''guru'' through reverence, service, effort and the process of inquiry.<ref name="chapple">Christopher Key Chapple (Editor) and Winthrop Sargeant (Translator), ''The Bhagavad Gita: Twenty-fifth–Anniversary Edition'', State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-1438428420}}, page 234</ref><ref>Jeaneane D. Fowler (2012), The Bhagavad Gita, Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1845193461}}, page 87</ref>

===Capabilities, role and methods for helping a student===
[[File:Raja Ravi Varma - Sankaracharya.jpg|thumb|right|upright|''[[Adi Shankara]] with Disciples'', by [[Raja Ravi Varma]] (1904)]]

The 8th century Hindu text ''Upadesasahasri'' of the [[Advaita Vedanta]] philosopher [[Adi Shankara]] discusses the role of the guru in assessing and guiding students.<ref name="ŚaṅkarācāryaMayeda1979">{{cite book|author1=Śaṅkarācārya|author2=Sengaku Mayeda|title=A Thousand Teachings: The Upadeśasāhasrī of Śaṅkara|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KcNM17mfaRgC&pg=PR15|access-date=28 June 2012|year=1979|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-7914-0944-2|pages=15–17}}</ref><ref name="Jacobsen2008">{{cite book|author=Knut A. Jacobsen|title=Theory and Practice of Yoga : 'Essays in Honour of Gerald James Larson|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jPK2spNnwm4C&pg=PA75|access-date=28 June 2012|date=1 January 2008|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-3232-9|pages=75–76}}</ref> In Chapter 1, he states that teacher is the pilot as the student walks in the journey of knowledge, he is the raft as the student rows. The text describes the need, role and characteristics of a teacher,<ref name=mayeda92>{{cite book|author1=Śaṅkarācārya|author2=Sengaku Mayeda|title=A Thousand Teachings: The Upadeśasāhasrī of Śaṅkara|year=2006|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-8120827714|page=92}}</ref> as follows,
 
{{Blockquote|
When the teacher finds from signs that knowledge has not been grasped or has been wrongly grasped by the student, he should remove the causes of non-comprehension in the student. This includes the student's past and present knowledge, want of previous knowledge of what constitutes subjects of discrimination and rules of reasoning, behavior such as unrestrained conduct and speech, courting popularity, vanity of his parentage, ethical flaws that are means contrary to those causes. The teacher must enjoin means in the student that are enjoined by the [[Śruti]] and [[Smriti|Smrti]], such as avoidance of anger, [[Yamas]] consisting of [[Ahimsa]] and others, also the rules of conduct that are not inconsistent with knowledge. He [teacher] should also thoroughly impress upon the student qualities like humility, which are the means to knowledge.
|Adi Shankara, Upadesha Sahasri 1.4-1.5<ref>'''Sanskrit''': {{lang|sa|शिष्यस्य ज्ञानग्रहणं च लिन्गैर्बुद्ध्वा तदग्रहणहेतूनधर्म लौकिकप्रमादनित्यानित्य(वस्तु) विवेकविषयासञ्जातदृढपूर्वश्रुतत्व-लोक-चिन्तावेक्षण-जात्याद्यभिमानादींस्तत्प्रतिपक्षैः श्रुतिस्मृतिविहितैरपनयेदक्रोधादिभिरहिंसादिभिश्च यमैर्ज्ञानाविरुद्धैश्च नियमैः ॥ ४॥ अमानित्वादिगुणं च ज्ञानोपायं सम्यग् ग्राहयेत् ॥ ५॥}} [http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_misc_shankara/US_itran_new.html?lang=sa Source];<br />'''English Translation 1''': S Jagadananda (Translator, 1949), Upadeshasahasri, Vedanta Press, {{ISBN|978-8171200597}}, pages 3-4; {{oclc|218363449}}<br/>'''English Translation 2''': {{cite book|author1=Śaṅkarācārya|author2=Sengaku Mayeda|title=A Thousand Teachings: The Upadeśasāhasrī of Śaṅkara|year=2006|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-8120827714}}</ref><ref>Karl Potter (2008), Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies Vol. III, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120803107}}, pages 218-219</ref>}}

{{Blockquote| 
The teacher is one who is endowed with the power of furnishing arguments pro and con, of understanding questions [of the student], and remembers them. The teacher possesses tranquility, self-control, compassion and a desire to help others, who is versed in the Śruti texts ([[Vedas]], [[Upanishads]]), and unattached to pleasures here and hereafter, knows the subject and is established in that knowledge. He is never a transgressor of the rules of conduct, devoid of weaknesses such as ostentation, pride, deceit, cunning, jugglery, jealousy, falsehood, egotism and attachment. The teacher's sole aim is to help others and a desire to impart the knowledge.
|Adi Shankara, Upadesha Sahasri 1.6<ref>S Jagadananda (Translator, 1949), Upadeshasahasri, Vedanta Press, {{ISBN|978-8171200597}}, page 5; {{oclc|218363449}}<br/>'''English Translation 2''': {{cite book|author1=Śaṅkarācārya|author2=Sengaku Mayeda|title=A Thousand Teachings: The Upadeśasāhasrī of Śaṅkara|year=2006|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-8120827714}}</ref>}}

Adi Shankara presents a series of examples wherein he asserts that the best way to guide a student is not to give immediate answers, but posit dialogue-driven questions that enable the student to discover and understand the answer.<ref>Sanskrit: [http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_misc_shankara/upadeshasaahasrii1.pdf Upadesha sahasri];<br />English Translation: S Jagadananda (Translator, 1949), Upadeshasahasri, Vedanta Press, {{ISBN|978-8171200597}}, prose section, page 43; {{oclc|218363449}}</ref>

=== Reverence and ''Guru-Bhakti'' ===
Reverence for the guru is a fundamental principle in Hinduism, as illustrated in the [[Guru Gita]] by the following shloka <ref>{{Cite book |last=Griffin |first=Mark |title=Shri Guru Gita |publisher=Hard Light Center of Awakening |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-975902-07-3 |edition=2nd}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=गुरु ब्रह्मा गुरु विष्णु गुरु देवो महेश्वरः।
गुरु साक्षात् परम ब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरुवे नमः।

Transliteration: Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara,
Guru Sakshat Parabrahma, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Meaning: This shloka praises the Guru, identifying them as the creator (Brahma), the preserver (Vishnu), and the destroyer (Shiva), ultimately recognizing the Guru as the supreme reality.|source=Guru Gita Shloka 22}}Other notable examples of devotion to the guru within Hinduism include the religious festival of [[Guru Purnima]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-20 |title=Guru Purnima: Know the date, origin, theme and significance; all you need to know |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-in-india/guru-purnima-know-the-date-origin-theme-and-significance-all-you-need-to-know-9448960/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Guru Purnima 2024: Date, Auspicious Times, And Traditional Prasad Recipe |url=https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/guru-purnima-2024-date-auspicious-times-and-traditional-prasad-recipe-6146806 |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

=== Gurukula and the guru-shishya tradition ===
[[File:Parmarth4.jpg|thumb|upright 1.2|Guru teaching students in a gurukul]]

{{Main|Brahmacharya|Guru-shishya tradition|Parampara|Gurukula}}

Traditionally, the ''Guru'' would live a simple married life, and accept ''shishya'' (student, Sanskrit: शिष्य) where he lived. A person would begin a life of study in the [[Gurukula]] (the household of the ''Guru''). The process of acceptance included proffering firewood and sometimes a gift to the guru, signifying that the student wants to live with, work and help the ''guru'' in maintaining the ''gurukul'', and as an expression of a desire for education in return over several years.<ref name=mlecko37/><ref>Ludo Rocher (2003), The Dharmaśāstas, in ''The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism'' (Editor: Gavin Flood), Blackwell Publishing Oxford, {{ISBN|0-631-21535-2}}, page 102-104</ref> At the Gurukul, the working student would study the basic traditional [[Vedanga|vedic sciences]] and various practical skills-oriented shastras<ref name=stella>Stella Kramrisch (1958), Traditions of the Indian Craftsman, ''The Journal of American Folklore'', Volume 71, Number 281, Traditional India: Structure and Change (Jul. - Sep., 1958), pages 224-230</ref> along with the religious texts contained within the [[Vedas]] and [[Upanishads]].<ref name=tamara/><ref name=sameul>Samuel Parker (1987), Artistic practice and education in India: A historical overview, ''Journal of Aesthetic Education'', pages 123-141</ref><ref>Misra, R. N. (2011), Silpis in Ancient India: Beyond their Ascribed Locus in Ancient Society, ''Social Scientist'', Vol. 39, No. 7/8, pages 43-54</ref> The education stage of a youth with a ''guru'' was referred to as [[Brahmacharya]], and in some parts of India this followed the [[Upanayana]] or [[Sanskara (rite of passage)|Vidyarambha]] rites of passage.<ref>Mary McGee (2007), Samskara, in ''The Hindu World'' (Editors: Mittal and Thursby), Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0415772273}}, pages 332-356;<br />Kathy Jackson (2005), ''Rituals and Patterns in Children's Lives'', University of Wisconsin Press, {{ISBN|978-0299208301}}, page 46</ref><ref name=kaneupan>PV Kane, [https://archive.org/stream/historyofdharmas029210mbp#page/n325/mode/2up Samskara, Chapter VII], ''History of Dharmasastras'', Vol II, Part I, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, pages 268-287</ref><ref>V Narayanan (Editors: Harold Coward and Philip Cook, 1997), ''Religious Dimensions of Child and Family Life'', Wilfrid Laurier University Press, {{ISBN|978-1550581041}}, page 67</ref>

The gurukul would be a hut in a forest, or it was, in some cases, a monastery, called a ''matha'' or ''[[ashram]]'' or ''[[sampradaya]]'' in different parts of India.<ref name="michelltempleschool"/><ref>[[Gavin Flood]] (1996), ''An Introduction to Hinduism'', Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-0521438780}}, pages 133-135</ref><ref name=scharfetempleschools>Hartmut Scharfe (2002), ''From Temple schools to Universities'', in Education in Ancient India: Handbook of Oriental Studies, Brill Academic, {{ISBN|978-9004125568}}, pages 173-174</ref> Each ashram had a lineage of gurus, who would study and focus on certain schools of Hindu philosophy or trade,<ref name=stella/><ref name=sameul/> also known as the [[Guru–shishya tradition|''guru-shishya'' ''parampara'']] (teacher-student tradition).<ref name=tamara>Tamara Sears (2014), ''Worldly Gurus and Spiritual Kings: Architecture and Asceticism in Medieval India'', Yale University Press, {{ISBN|978-0300198447}}, pages 12-23, 27-28, 73-75, 187-230</ref> This ''guru''-driven tradition included arts such as sculpture, poetry and music.<ref>Winand Callewaert and Mukunda Lāṭh (1989), ''The Hindi Songs of Namdev'', Peeters Publishers, {{ISBN|978-906831-107-5}}, pages 57-59</ref><ref name=stellacrafts>Stella Kramrisch (1994), ''Exploring India's Sacred Art'' (Editor: Barbara Miller), Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120812086}}, pages 59-66</ref>

Inscriptions from 4th century CE suggest the existence of ''gurukuls'' around [[Hindu temple]]s, called ''Ghatikas'' or ''Mathas'', where the [[Vedas]] were studied.<ref>Hartmut Scharfe (2002), "From Temple schools to Universities", in ''Education in Ancient India: Handbook of Oriental Studies'', Brill Academic, {{ISBN|978-9004125568}}, pages 169-171</ref> In south India, 9th century Vedic schools attached to Hindu temples were called ''Calai'' or ''Salai'', and these provided free boarding and lodging to students and scholars.<ref>Hartmut Scharfe (2002), "From Temple schools to Universities", in ''Education in Ancient India: Handbook of Oriental Studies'', Brill Academic, {{ISBN|978-9004125568}}, page 175</ref> Archaeological and epigraphical evidence suggests that ancient and medieval era gurukuls near Hindu temples offered wide range of studies, ranging from Hindu scriptures to Buddhist texts, grammar, philosophy, martial arts, music and painting.<ref name=scharfetempleschools2>Hartmut Scharfe (2002), "From Temple schools to Universities", in ''Education in Ancient India: Handbook of Oriental Studies'', Brill Academic, {{ISBN|978-9004125568}}, page 176-182</ref><ref name=michelltempleschool>George Michell (1988), ''The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms'', University of Chicago Press, {{ISBN|978-0226532301}}, pages 58-60</ref>

The ''guru-shishya parampara'', occurs where knowledge is passed down through succeeding generations. It is the traditional, residential form of education, where the Shishya remains and learns with his Guru as a family member.<ref>William Pinch (2012), ''Warrior Ascetics and Indian Empires'', Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-1107406377}}, pages 37-38, 141-144, 110-117<br />William Pinch, ''Peasants and Monks in British India'', University of California Press, {{ISBN|978-0520200616}}, pages 57-78</ref><ref>Sunil Kothari and Avinash Pasricha (2001), Kuchipudi, Abhinav Publications, {{ISBN|978-8170173595}}, pages 155-170 and chapter on dance-arts related ''Guru parampara''</ref><ref>SS Kumar (2010), ''Bhakti - the Yoga of Love'', LIT Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3643501301}}, pages 50-51</ref>

====Gender and caste====
The Hindu texts offer a conflicting view of whether access to ''guru'' and education was limited to men and to certain ''[[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]]'' (castes).<ref name=murty>[[Kotha Satchidanda Murthy]] (1993), Vedic Hermeneutics, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120811058}}, pages 14-17</ref><ref name=asharma/> The Vedas and the Upanishads never mention any restrictions based either on gender or ''varna''.<ref name=murty/> The Yajurveda and Atharvaveda texts state that knowledge is for everyone, and offer examples of women and people from all segments of society who are ''guru'' and participated in vedic studies.<ref name=murty/><ref>D Chand, [https://archive.org/stream/yajurveda029670mbp#page/n279/mode/2up Yajurveda], Verses 26.2-26.3, Osmania University, page 270</ref> The Upanishads assert that one's birth does not determine one's eligibility for spiritual knowledge, only one's effort and sincerity matters.<ref name=asharma/>

The early Dharma-sutras and Dharma-sastras, such as Paraskara Grhyasutra, Gautama Smriti and Yajnavalkya smriti, state all four varnas are eligible to all fields of knowledge while verses of Manusmriti state that Vedic study is available only to men of three varnas, unavailable to Shudra and women.<ref name=murty/><ref name=asharma>[[Arvind Sharma]] (2000), ''Classical Hindu Thought: An Introduction'', Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0195644418}}, pages 147-158</ref>{{refn|[[Patrick Olivelle]] notes the modern doubts about the reliability of Manusmriti manuscripts. He writes, "Manusmriti was the first Indian legal text introduced to the western world through the translation of Sir William Jones in 1794. (...) This was based on the Calcutta manuscript with the commentary of Kulluka. It was Kulluka's version that has been assumed to be the original [vulgate version] and translated repeatedly from Jone (1794) and [[Wendy Doniger|Doniger]] (1991). The belief in the authenticity of Kulluka's text was openly articulated by Burnell. This is far from the truth. Indeed, one of the great surprises of my editorial work has been to discover how few of the over 50 manuscripts that I collated actually follow the vulgate in key readings."<ref>Patrick Olivelle (2004), ''Manu's Code of Law'', Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0195171464}}, pages 353-354, 356-382</ref><br />Sinha writes, in case of Manusmriti, that "certain verses discouraged, but others allowed women to read Vedic scriptures."<ref>J Sinha (2014), Psycho-Social Analysis of the Indian Mindset, Springer Academic, {{ISBN|978-8132218036}}, page 5</ref>|group=Note}} Kramrisch, Scharfe, and Mookerji state that the guru tradition and availability of education extended to all segments of ancient and medieval society.<ref name=stellacrafts/><ref>Hartmut Scharfe (2007), ''Education in Ancient India: Handbook of Oriental Studies'', Brill Academic, {{ISBN|978-9004125568}}, pages 75-79, 102-103, 197-198, 263-276</ref><ref>Radha Mookerji (2011), ''Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist'', Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120804234}}, pages 174-175, 270-271</ref> Lise McKean states the ''guru'' concept has been prevalent over the range of class and caste backgrounds, and the disciples a guru attracts come from both genders and a range of classes and castes.<ref>Lise McKean (1996), ''Divine Enterprise: Gurus and the Hindu Nationalist Movement'', University of Chicago Press, {{ISBN|978-0226560106}}, pages 14-22, 57-58</ref> During the [[bhakti movement]] of Hinduism, which started in about mid 1st millennium CE, the ''gurus'' included women and members of all ''varna''.<ref>John Stratton Hawley (2015), ''A Storm of Songs: India and the Idea of the Bhakti Movement'', Harvard University Press, {{ISBN|978-0674187467}}, pages 304-310</ref><ref>Richard Kieckhefer and George Bond (1990), ''Sainthood: Its Manifestations in World Religions'', University of California Press, {{ISBN|978-0520071896}}, pages 116-122</ref><ref>Sheldon Pollock (2009), ''The Language of the Gods in the World of Men'', University of California Press, {{ISBN|978-0520260030}}, pages 423-431</ref>

=== Attributes ===
The [[Advayataraka Upanishad]] states that the true teacher is a master in the field of knowledge, well-versed in the [[Veda]]s, is free from envy, knows [[yoga]], lives a simple life that of a yogi, has realized the knowledge of the [[Atman (Hinduism)|Atman]] (Self).<ref name="feuerstein1990" /> Some scriptures and gurus have warned against false teachers, and have recommended that the spiritual seeker test the guru before accepting him.  [[Swami Vivekananda]] said that there are many incompetent gurus, and that a true guru should understand the spirit of the scriptures, have a pure character and be free from sin, and should be selfless, without desire for money and fame.<ref>{{cite book |last=Vivekananda |first=Swami |date=1982|title= Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga|location=Oxford |publisher=Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center |isbn=9780911206227|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UJA4wQEACAAJ}}</ref>

According to the Indologist [[Georg Feuerstein]], in some traditions of Hinduism, when one reaches the state of Self-knowledge, one's own Self becomes the ''guru''.<ref name="feuerstein1990">[[Georg Feusterstein|Feuerstein, Georg]] Dr. ''Encyclopedic dictionary of yoga'' Published by Paragon House 1st edition (1990) {{ISBN|1-55778-244-X}}</ref> In Tantra, states Feuerstein, the guru is the "ferry who leads one across the ocean of existence."<ref name=georgtantra>Georg Feuerstein (1998), ''Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy'', Shambhala Publications, {{ISBN|978-1570623042}}, pages 85-87</ref> A true guru guides and counsels a student's spiritual development because, states ''Yoga-Bija'', endless logic and grammar leads to confusion, and not contentment.<ref name=georgtantra/> However, various Hindu texts caution prudence and diligence in finding the right guru, and avoiding the wrong ones.<ref name=georgtantra91>Georg Feuerstein (1998), ''Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy'', Shambhala Publications, {{ISBN|978-1570623042}}, pages 91-94</ref> For example, in ''Kula-Arnava'' text states the following guidance:

{{Blockquote|
<poem>
Gurus are as numerous as lamps in every house. But, O-Goddess, difficult to find is a guru who lights up everything like a sun.
Gurus who are proficient in the Vedas, textbooks and so on are numerous. But, O Goddess, difficult to find is a guru who is proficient in the supreme Truth.
Gurus who rob their disciples of their wealth are numerous. But, O Goddess, difficult to find is a guru who removes the disciples' suffering.
Numerous here on earth are those who are intent on social class, stage of life and family. But he who is devoid of all concerns is a guru difficult to find.
An intelligent man should choose a guru by whom supreme Bliss is attained, and only such a guru and none other.
</poem>
|Kula-Arnava|13.104 - 13.110, Translated by Georg Feuerstein<ref name=georgtantra91/>}}

A true guru is, asserts ''Kula-Arnava'', one who lives the simple virtuous life he preaches, is stable and firm in his knowledge, master yogi with the knowledge of Self (''[[jnana|Atma Gyaan]]'') and [[Brahman]] (ultimate reality).<ref name=georgtantra91/> The guru is one who initiates, transmits, guides, illuminates, debates and corrects a student in the journey of knowledge and of self-realization.<ref name=georgyoga>Georg Feuerstein (2011), ''The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice'', Shambhala Publications, {{ISBN|978-1570629358}}, pages 127-131</ref> The attribute of the successful guru is to help make the disciple into another guru, one who transcends him, and becomes a guru unto himself, driven by inner spirituality and principles.<ref name=georgyoga/>

=== In modern Hinduism ===
{{further|Contemporary Hindu movements|Modern yoga gurus}}

In modern neo-Hinduism, Kranenborg states ''guru'' may refer to entirely different concepts, such as a ''spiritual advisor'', or someone who performs traditional rituals outside a temple, or an ''enlightened master'' in the field of tantra or yoga or eastern arts who derives his authority from his experience, or a reference by a group of devotees of a sect to someone considered a god-like [[Avatar]] by the sect.<ref name="kraneborg2002" />

The tradition of reverence for ''guru'' continues in several denominations within modern Hinduism, but rather than being considered as a prophet, the guru is seen as a person who points the way to spirituality, oneness of being, and meaning in life.<ref>Ranade, Ramchandra Dattatraya ''Mysticism in India: The Poet-Saints of Maharashtra'', pp.392, SUNY Press, 1983. {{ISBN|0-87395-669-9}}</ref><ref>Mills, James H. and Sen, Satadru (Eds.), ''Confronting the Body: The Politics of Physicality in Colonial and Post-Colonial India'', pp.23, Anthem Press (2004), {{ISBN|1-84331-032-5}}</ref>{{refn|"Gurus are not prophets who declare the will of God and appeal to propositions found in a Scripture. Rather, they are said to be greater than God because they lead to God. Gurus have shared the essence of the Absolute and experienced the oneness of being, which endows them with divine powers and the ability to master people and things in this world."<ref name="isbn0-8133-2508-0">{{cite book |last1=Poewe |first1=Karla O. |last2=Hexham |first2=Irving |title=New religions as global cultures: making the human sacred |publisher=Westview Press |location=Boulder, Colorado |year=1997 |page=106 |isbn=0-8133-2508-0 }}</ref>}}